Qwertystop
2013-07-25, 10:34 PM
So, the Unbodied (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/unbodied.htm). Really cool idea, a bit crippled by 4 LA and f4 RHD (that double as Psion levels). While technically, it's true that if you are playing a Telepath, 4 LA isn't as bad for you as it would be for, say, a Wizard... 4 LA is still a lot, and if you don't want to be a Telepath then you can't be any kind of Psion.
So I was trying to think of ways to make it not need as much LA, because honestly it sort of does - nonmagical incorporeality and perfect flight.
So I bounced an idea off the forums (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15675801&postcount=15)... and it bounced. No response.
So here's my attempt at rewriting the thing, hopefully with an end result of less LA.
UNBODIED
Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Incorporeal, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Fly 5 ft. (perfect) (1 square)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/—
Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Psionic powers, telekinetic force
Special Qualities: Malleable likeness, incorporeal traits, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str Ø, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Bluff +4, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +4
Feats: Overchannel, Wild Talent
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or illumination (3-6)
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Half standard
Alignment: Any
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: ?
Psionic Powers
An unbodied manifests powers as a 4th-level psion (either a Telepath or Kineticist, depending on the Unbodied). The save DCs are Intelligence-based.
Typical Psion Powers Known (for Telepath) (power points 21, base save DC 12 + power level): 1st— detect psionics, empty mind, mind thrust (DC 13*), psionic charm (DC 13*); 2nd—brain lock (DC 14), cloud mind (DC 14), energy push (DC 14), read thoughts (DC 14).
*Power can be augmented.
Telekinetic Force (Psi)
An unbodied can use telekinetic force (DC 15) as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Manifester level 4th. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Malleable Likeness (Su)
Anyone viewing an Unbodied who the Unobodied can make telepathic contact with can make a Charisma check (DC 10) to force it to look like a particular species of Small, Medium, or Large creature as a standard action. If multiple viewers try this at the same time, this becomes an opposed Charisma check to see who succeeds, still with a minimum roll of 10 required to get any change. The Unbodied remains in its changed form as long as whoever changed it continues to concentrate on it (a free action), assuming nobody else gets a higher check to force a different form. If nobody does so, the Unbodied looks like a generic member of the same species as the viewer (different to each viewer) (if a viewer is of a species that is not Small, Medium, or Large, they instead see what the nearest other viewer sees. If there is no other viewer, they see the Unbodied in its natural form). The Unbodied cannot make this roll to change its own appearance itself, but can participate in the opposed roll to prevent any changes to its appearance (maintaining the same-species-as-viewer effect), though at a penalty of -2 per viewer making a change. It can also make the standard no-penalty roll to go back to normal if it has been changed for at least one round. All false appearances made by this ability can be seen through by True Seeing and equivalent spells, powers, and abilities.
Incorporeal Traits
An unbodied is harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, powers, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. It has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. It can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. An incorporeal creature always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be.
Skills
An unbodied has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. If it can read an opponent’s mind, it gets a further +4 circumstance bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.
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So basically, I changed the Fly speed to something less useful in combat, replaced the Assume Likeness with something more flavorful but much less useful as a disguise, made Telekinetic Force (Psi) instead of (Su) (only a slight nerf, mostly just that it provokes AOOs, but still), tweaked the Disguise boost to fit the new Likeness, and allowed Kineticists, because honestly this is attractive as much for infinite telekinesis as for the telepathy elements.
Is this worth a lower LA? Should it be tweaked further? Did I go too far? Not far enough? Should I do something with the RHD (was considering changing it to one or two HD of Abberation instead of four of Monstrous Humanoid)?
Also, how can I work out the CR on this thing?
So I was trying to think of ways to make it not need as much LA, because honestly it sort of does - nonmagical incorporeality and perfect flight.
So I bounced an idea off the forums (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15675801&postcount=15)... and it bounced. No response.
So here's my attempt at rewriting the thing, hopefully with an end result of less LA.
UNBODIED
Size/Type: Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Incorporeal, Psionic)
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), Fly 5 ft. (perfect) (1 square)
Armor Class: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/—
Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Psionic powers, telekinetic force
Special Qualities: Malleable likeness, incorporeal traits, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str Ø, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 11
Skills: Bluff +4, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +4
Feats: Overchannel, Wild Talent
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or illumination (3-6)
Challenge Rating: ?
Treasure: Half standard
Alignment: Any
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: ?
Psionic Powers
An unbodied manifests powers as a 4th-level psion (either a Telepath or Kineticist, depending on the Unbodied). The save DCs are Intelligence-based.
Typical Psion Powers Known (for Telepath) (power points 21, base save DC 12 + power level): 1st— detect psionics, empty mind, mind thrust (DC 13*), psionic charm (DC 13*); 2nd—brain lock (DC 14), cloud mind (DC 14), energy push (DC 14), read thoughts (DC 14).
*Power can be augmented.
Telekinetic Force (Psi)
An unbodied can use telekinetic force (DC 15) as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Manifester level 4th. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Malleable Likeness (Su)
Anyone viewing an Unbodied who the Unobodied can make telepathic contact with can make a Charisma check (DC 10) to force it to look like a particular species of Small, Medium, or Large creature as a standard action. If multiple viewers try this at the same time, this becomes an opposed Charisma check to see who succeeds, still with a minimum roll of 10 required to get any change. The Unbodied remains in its changed form as long as whoever changed it continues to concentrate on it (a free action), assuming nobody else gets a higher check to force a different form. If nobody does so, the Unbodied looks like a generic member of the same species as the viewer (different to each viewer) (if a viewer is of a species that is not Small, Medium, or Large, they instead see what the nearest other viewer sees. If there is no other viewer, they see the Unbodied in its natural form). The Unbodied cannot make this roll to change its own appearance itself, but can participate in the opposed roll to prevent any changes to its appearance (maintaining the same-species-as-viewer effect), though at a penalty of -2 per viewer making a change. It can also make the standard no-penalty roll to go back to normal if it has been changed for at least one round. All false appearances made by this ability can be seen through by True Seeing and equivalent spells, powers, and abilities.
Incorporeal Traits
An unbodied is harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, powers, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. It has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source, except for force effects or attacks made with ghost touch weapons. It can pass through solid objects, but not force effects, at will. Its attacks ignore natural armor, armor, and shields, but deflection bonuses and force effects work normally against them. An incorporeal creature always moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn’t wish to be.
Skills
An unbodied has a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. If it can read an opponent’s mind, it gets a further +4 circumstance bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.
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So basically, I changed the Fly speed to something less useful in combat, replaced the Assume Likeness with something more flavorful but much less useful as a disguise, made Telekinetic Force (Psi) instead of (Su) (only a slight nerf, mostly just that it provokes AOOs, but still), tweaked the Disguise boost to fit the new Likeness, and allowed Kineticists, because honestly this is attractive as much for infinite telekinesis as for the telepathy elements.
Is this worth a lower LA? Should it be tweaked further? Did I go too far? Not far enough? Should I do something with the RHD (was considering changing it to one or two HD of Abberation instead of four of Monstrous Humanoid)?
Also, how can I work out the CR on this thing?